10.17.2015

Collective Economy

In both
Armenia and Georgia, evidence of the failed economic policies of both the
Soviet Union and the new countries are abundant. Empty factories are part of the landscape, built by the
Soviets, bought by shady businessmen, stripped of everything that could be sold,
and then left to decay in a way that only Jan
Jörnmark can appreciate.

In the
countryside, large abandoned farmhouses can be found in many areas. They are the results
of the kolkhoz policy
requiring villages to give up their private land to focus on one kind of
farming, often irrespectively of what the land was suited for. However, the
transition from the Soviet centrally
planned economy to a market economy has not
been easy. Not every family was prepared for the sudden responsibility for all
the tasks involved in farming, leaving a substantial part of the rural
population longing for the old times.

The idea of
villages specialising their production has been taken up in other contexts.
Japan's OVOP
initiative inspired Thailand to introduce the OTOP movement
resulting in, among other things, really lovely scarves now in my home. In EU,
the Smart
Specialisation strategies are spreading, thankfully designed as a bottom-up process
and supported by the S3
platform.

One aspect
of collective economy is the sharing economy trend.
It's really easy to get lost in this area where there is a big difference
between companies like Uber and Airbnb, making loads of money, and voluntary
associations or initiatives not earning a penny. I recommend reading the report
"The
Sharing Economy - Embracing Change With Caution".

A favourite
sharing initiative right now is the Fruktförmedlingen
(The Fruit Agency) where you can see where you can get fruit for free in
Sweden.